PROPERTY UPDATE PROPERTY OWNERS FORUM
All Shook Up!
Tuesday 9 July 2013, 4-6pm
Find out how the building policy review will affect your property or business.
Making our voices heard The Auckland Unitary Plan will be the rulebook that shapes the way the city grows, so it’s no surprise that the release of the draft plan drew so much feedback from all corners. The window for feedback has now closed and GETBA put its views across loud and clear. More than 60 East Tamaki business and property owners attended the GETBA Forum on the draft Unitary Plan in May to discuss its implications. Following the Forum, GETBA banded together with five other industrial business associations across Auckland to put forward a significant Feedback document representing the interests of thousands of light and heavy industrial businesses, including the 2000plus businesses in East Tamaki. Prepared by Grant Hewison, the Feedback started by raising concerns about the draft plan’s heavy residential focus, something that could lead to a heavier emphasis on residential issues during the feedback stage of the process. It noted concern over the scarcity of industrial land (particularly within the existing urban area of Auckland). Nearly one third of industrial land has been used for non-industrial purposes over the past decade – mainly for retail, office and residential use. Picking up on these issues, the Feedback pointed out the draft Unitary Plan did not adequately address the need to protect existing industrial land in Auckland or provide for more (especially inside the existing urban area) despite stating its importance in the Auckland Plan. However, compared with the district plans of the old councils, light and heavy industrial areas were appropriately simplified into two zones. Moreover, the list of activities allowed in the heavy and light industry zones were generally appropriate, while the activities not allowed in those areas were also about right.
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ISSUE 5 2013
The Feedback criticised the draft Unitary Plan in the following respects: • The Air Quality Industry Transition overlay designed to improve air quality would unduly restrict industrial activities. • Transport and land use development were not well integrated for industrial areas in the Plan. • The minimum 5-star Green Star rating for new industrial buildings was considered too high for industrial areas. A lower rating was preferred.
The next GETBA Property Owners Forum focuses on proposed changes which will have significant compliance code implications for the commercial industrial property sector and building owners. PANELLISTS: Ian Little, Senior Property Research Analyst, Bayleys Commercial Industrial will set the scene by outlining the proposed changes and the property sector market’s response. Andrew Thompson, Senior Structural Engineer, Harrison Grierson will explain what defines an earthquake-prone building, how engineers determine the rating for a building, what to be aware of with seismic ratings, and what changes are likely to occur in the Building Act. Paul McKay, General Manager Corporate Marketing, Aon Insurance will elaborate on property insurance costs and risk implications. Come along, be better informed and join in the discussion.
• An allowance also needed to be made for occasional late night industrial noise. • More flexible and smaller lot sizes should be provided for subdivision in industrial areas. • Parking minimums need to increase to 1 per 100m2 gross floor area. • Criticism was made of the 62m buffer zones under electricity transmission lines and recommended that these be removed for non-sensitive uses in industrial areas. • Certain heritage/tree protection in industrial areas appeared inappropriate. Finally, although this initial feedback process has closed, business owners should still check the Unitary Plan themselves or obtain advice in order to see what activities would be allowed on their land and what restrictions might be planned under the Unitary Plan.
Save the date: 9 JULY What Property Forum on the Building Policy Review implications When Tuesday 9 July 2013, 4-6pm Where BNZ Partners Business Centre, Level 1 86 Highbrook Drive Refreshments Beer, wine & pizza
If you have any questions, feel free to contact Grant Hewison: grant@granthewison.co.nz
Register by 5 July by phoning GETBA on 09 273 6274 or email admin@getba.org.nz
TH E G RE ATE R E AS T TAM AK I BU S IN E S S AS SO C I AT I O N I N C .
PO Box 58 260 Botany Manukau 2163 P 09 273 6274 E gm@getba.org.nz www.getba.org.nz